Newcastle & Sunderland go head-to-head over Spain international

Tyne-Wear rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland could go head-to-head in a transfer battle over Spanish winger Diego Capel, a 26-year-old who won the UEFA Cup two seasons in a row with former club Sevilla but may become ousted at the Portuguese club for a low £4m as Sporting Lisbon look to cut costs.

Ahead of the winter window, Capel was reportedly being offered to Liverpool for a cut-price fee as "cash-strapped" Sporting looked to raise funds by "sacrificing" Capel who, despite his attacking prowess at Sevilla, has had a sub-par season in the current campaign.

Brendan Rodgers, though, was not reportedly perturbed by this as the Ulsterman believed he could nurture the Spaniard back to peak form.

Since then, Raheem Sterling has blossomed into a seemingly world-beating attacker, leaving the Magpies and Black Cats a two-way run at Capel should Tottenham Hotspur not revive former interest in the player.